Top dilemmas faced by Delhi University aspirants

After days of ambiguity over the fate of Delhi University’s bachelor’s degree programme following the standoff between the University Grants Commission and DU, the admission process finally began last week. The FYUP fiasco added to the confusion. Besides taking important decisions with regard to opting for a course over college, the ever-rising cut-offs, the UCG-DU controversy added to the stress.

HT Education spoke to college aspirants to find out what are the top dilemmas faced by them.

College or course?

Economics honours at Lady Shri Ram College for Women or BCom (hons) at Shri Ram College of Commerce? Choosing course over college or vice versa is a Catch-22 situation for most applicants. While one college may have better infrastructure, the other may have better faculty. “The student crowd is also equally important for me, as that will affect my overall development,” says Simran Singh. She wants to study economics from a top college, but as the high cut-off did not allow her to do that, she decided to take up BA (programme) at Kirori Mal College. This view, however, was not shared by many other students. Says Megha Chaudhary, an aspirant, “At the end of the day, knowledge is more important than brand.”

Tug of war Between UGC and DU

The conflict regarding the FYUP not only delayed the admissions process, it has also made students feel unsure of their academic progress. While the FYUP was introduced with a lot of opposition last year, it was also supported by a section of students and teachers. “While DU and UGC fought, the welfare of the students was ignored completely. I did not know for sure whether I would clear the cut-off, but I did thankfully,” says Nikhil Singh, who has secured a seat at Ramjas College.

Reservation for Delhi students?

Despite the growing number of applicants to DU, the number of seats has not increased. “The price is being paid by the students in the form of high cut-offs. With the number of contenders for each seat going up, high reservation deprives deserved candidates of opportunities. When the former AAP government in Delhi proposed a 90% reservation for Delhi students, the idea was opposed by a large section of students, as DU is a Central university for students from across the country, and a Delhi-reservation would be unfair,” says Shraddha Sharma, another applicant.